A Knight on a7

The game, move by move

A King’s Gambit declined

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… e5 The same claim
3. 2. f4 The King’s Gambit
4. 2… Bc5 Declined — the classical way The bishop comes out at f2 rather than the pawn being taken. It is the soundest answer and it leaves White with more space.
5. 3. Nf3 The knight out
6. 3… d6 d6
7. 4. c3 c3, at the bishop
8. 4… Bg4 The bishop to g4
9. 5. fxe5 The pawns come off on e5
10. 5… dxe5 Recaptured
11. 6. Qa4+ Check from a4 The queen comes out to the wing she is going to spend the game on. Everything White does happens on the a- and b-files.
12. 6… Bd7 The bishop blocks
13. 7. Qc2 The queen to c2
14. 7… Nc6 The knight out
15. 8. b4 b4 — the first pawn Six pawn moves on this wing are coming: b4, b5, a4, a5, b6, a6. They are the game.
16. 8… Bd6 The bishop to d6
17. 9. Bc4 The bishop to c4
18. 9… Nf6 The knight out
19. 10. d3 d3, holding e4
20. 10… Qe7 The queen to e7

Black castles into the pawns

1. 11. O-O White castles short
2. 11… O-O-O And Black castles long — into it The king goes to the side of the board where White’s pawns are already moving. From here every pawn advance is a threat as well as a gain of space.
3. 12. a4 a4, the second pawn
4. 12… a5 a5, trying to stop them
5. 13. b5 b5, past it
6. 13… Nb8 The knight back to b8
7. 14. Nbd2 The knight to d2
8. 14… Bg4 The bishop to g4
9. 15. Nb3 The knight to b3, at a5
10. 15… b6 b6, propping the pawn up
11. 16. Be3 The bishop to e3
12. 16… Nbd7 The knight to d7

A knight and a bishop given

1. 17. Rae1 The rook to e1
2. 17… Be6 The bishop to e6
3. 18. Bxe6 The bishops come off
4. 18… Qxe6 Recaptured by the queen
5. 19. Kh1 Kh1, out of the way
6. 19… Qe7 The queen back to e7
7. 20. Nbd2 The knight to d2
8. 20… Ng4 The knight to g4
9. 21. Bg1 The bishop to g1
10. 21… h5 h5, on the other wing
11. 22. Nc4 The knight to c4, heading for d6
12. 22… g5 g5
13. 23. Nxd6+ The knight takes d6, with check A knight for the bishop that was holding the dark squares in front of the king.
14. 23… cxd6 Recaptured with the c-pawn Which opens the c-file — and the c-file is where the king ends up being mated.
15. 24. Nd2 The knight back to d2
16. 24… f6 f6
17. 25. Nc4 The knight to c4 again
18. 25… Kb7 Kb7, stepping across
19. 26. Bxb6 The bishop given on b6 A bishop for a pawn, to open the a5 square for a knight and the b-file for a rook.
20. 26… Nxb6 Taken

Mated on c8

1. 27. Nxa5+ The knight takes a5, with check Which is why the bishop went: a5 was a pawn a moment ago.
2. 27… Kc7 Kc7
3. 28. Nc6 The knight to c6, in front of the king
4. 28… Qe8 The queen to e8
5. 29. a5 a5 — the pawn again
6. 29… Nd7 The knight to d7, blocking It stands on d7 at the end, in its own king’s way.
7. 30. b6+ b6, with check
8. 30… Kb7 Kb7
9. 31. a6+ a6, with check Two pawns on the sixth against a king on b7, and neither of them can be taken. The pawn on a6 is what defends the rook at the end.
10. 31… Kxb6 He has to take on b6
11. 32. Rb1+ The rook to b1, with check
12. 32… Kc7 Kc7
13. 33. Rb7+ The rook to b7, with check Held by the pawn on a6. The king has one square and it is c8.
14. 33… Kc8 Kc8
15. 34. Na7# Checkmate, on a7 The knight steps to a7 and covers c8 — a knight giving mate from the corner square of the board. b8 and c7 are covered by the rook on b7, which the pawn on a6 defends; d8 is Black’s own rook and d7 his own knight.